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April 2018

Abstract

Karst water plays a very important role in providing a municipal water supply in Kunming City, Yunnan Proving, China. It contributes approximately 50% of the drinking water for the city. Given the rapidly growth in urbanization and of the economy of Kunming City in the last decades, most karst springs have been suffering from human impact, in both quality and quantity. Qinglongdong Spring (QLDS) is located in Dabanqiao village, Northwestern Kunming, 23 km away from Kunming downtown and is an important component of the water supply system of Kunming City. It was previously abandoned in 2003 and 2004 due to high levels of organic contamination. In order to better understand factors impacting the spring water quality and quantity, a Greenspan CTDP300 multi-parameter data logger (water level, pH, EC and T), and a rain gauge were installed. Water samples were manually collected and analyzed between May and August of 2003 to 2009. The test results revealed that the Qinglongdong Spring study area not only has a well-developed groundwater drainage system, but also the vadose zone is very thin. Given this hydrogeological situation, QLDS has a rapid response to rainfall events, and therefore, the pollutants are transported inside the aquifer rapidly as well. Manual sampling indicates an increasing trend of nitrate content in the spring from 2006 to 2009. It is possible that this area may be influenced by sewage, which is being disposed of illegally, but this would need further investigation.

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The Water Chemical Characteristics of Qinglongdong Karst Spring, Kunming, China

Karst water plays a very important role in providing a municipal water supply in Kunming City, Yunnan Proving, China. It contributes approximately 50% of the drinking water for the city. Given the rapidly growth in urbanization and of the economy of Kunming City in the last decades, most karst springs have been suffering from human impact, in both quality and quantity. Qinglongdong Spring (QLDS) is located in Dabanqiao village, Northwestern Kunming, 23 km away from Kunming downtown and is an important component of the water supply system of Kunming City. It was previously abandoned in 2003 and 2004 due to high levels of organic contamination. In order to better understand factors impacting the spring water quality and quantity, a Greenspan CTDP300 multi-parameter data logger (water level, pH, EC and T), and a rain gauge were installed. Water samples were manually collected and analyzed between May and August of 2003 to 2009. The test results revealed that the Qinglongdong Spring study area not only has a well-developed groundwater drainage system, but also the vadose zone is very thin. Given this hydrogeological situation, QLDS has a rapid response to rainfall events, and therefore, the pollutants are transported inside the aquifer rapidly as well. Manual sampling indicates an increasing trend of nitrate content in the spring from 2006 to 2009. It is possible that this area may be influenced by sewage, which is being disposed of illegally, but this would need further investigation.